Crate



(No Model.) f

. H. W. BEAM.

. CRATE. Y No 347,198.v Patented Aug.VA 10, 1886.

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SFECIZE'ICATIONIormng.part.ovLetters Patent No. 347,198, dated August 10, 1886.

' Application sled April isst.

Serial No. 1A97,559. (No model.)

To all whom L/may concern.-

Beit known that I, HIRAM W. Raitt, a citi-1 zen of the United States, residingat Canton, in the county of Starkand State of Ohio, have 5 invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Crates, offwhich'thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. I

This invention relates to improvements upon 1o crates, particularly to that class of crates adapted for use in the transportation of fruits and vegetables in which it is desirable that there should be free access of air to the contents; and it cons ists in certain improvements .15 whereby a substantial crate may be made at a comparatively small cost, and without the use of nails or other devices which permanently hold the various pieces together, whereby it may bel easily knocked down7 for reship- 2o ping.

Figure lis a perspective View of a crate embodying my invention. Fig. 2 isa top view. Fig. 3 is a bottom view.,

p. In the drawings, A represents the slats from A which the sides are made, A the slats of which the bottom is made, and AIZ those forming the ends of the crate. The slats which are used to form the sides and those which form the ends cross each other at right angles, their 3c. ends projecting slightly beyond the planes of the sides and ends, as at a, for a purpose to be described.

BB are elongated U-shaped wires or staples employed to unite and to hold firmly together 3 5 the slats A, one of these binding-staples being employed at each corner of the crate. The two legs Z b of each staple lie in the opposite exterior angles formed by the projecting ends a of the slats, the lower ends of the legs b being 4o screw-threaded and adapted to receive nuts C.

D is a perforated plate, through which the ends of the wires b pass and against which the nuts C bear, these plates being arranged between the nuts and the lower bar or strip of the end of the crate. The upper end or loop, b', of the staple passes over the upper slat, and it will thus be seen that when vthe nuts are screwed upon the-lower ends of the legs bthe whole series of slats at their points of inter- 5osection will be tightly clamped and bound together.

Y In order to insure against the slats becominglooseor slipping out after the nuts have been tightened upon the binding wires or staple, l notch each bar upon the outside, as at a a', in which notches the legs of the staple lie. This renders it impossible for the slats to become detached,even though the nuts Gshould loosen to a considerable extent. It will ot' course be understood that the notches upon the slats A and those upon the slats A2 are so related to each other that they lie one above the other in vertical lines".

E is a perforated plate through which the wires b pass. It is arranged between two other slats, A A", preferably the two about midway between the bottom and the top of the crate, and serves to prevent the wires or legs b from spreading, which might occur were the crate of considerable depth and the wires small and iiexible. It will of course be understood that any number of these plates E may be employed, as found necessary.

The slats A', forming the bottom, are arranged between the two lowest slats of the side series, to which they are attached by nails or screws F.

I do not wish to be conned to making the binding-wires in U-shaped or in staple form, as shown, as I may employa plate similar to that at lD and nuts similar to those at C in place of the loop or tranverse portion b ol' the wire.

A crate of this character may be made of any,.desired size and at very small cost, It may be put together by any person, and is found to be both strong and rigid. It may be easily knocked down by removing the nuts C and plates D and withdrawing the wires or' legs b from their seats in the slats, after which they may be placed upon the bottom, which serves as a convenient support therei'or during reshipment.

What I claim is I. The herein-described crate, consisting of 95. the slats crossed and having their ends projecting, as at a, beyond the planes of the sides and ends ol' the crate, binding-wires lying in the opposite exterior angles formed by said projecting ends a, and means for tighten- 10o ingsaid wires to bind together the slats, substantially as set forth.

2. In n crate, the combination of a series of slats which form the sides and ends of the crate, the slats being notched upon their outer sides7 as :it a', binding-wires lying in said notches, und means for tightening said wires to bind together said slats, substantially as set forth.

3. In a crate, the combination of u series of slats which forni the sides and ends of the crate, the staple-shaped binding-wire B, the legs b of which lie in the exterior angles formed by the projecting ends o of the slats, the plates D, and the nuts C, substantially as set forth.

4. In n crate, the combination of a series of slats which form the sides and ends of the crate, the slats being notched upon their outer sides, :is nt a, the staple or U shaped bindingwire B, the legs b of which liein said notches, and :we screw-threaded at their lower ends,

and the nuts C, engaging with said legs and adapted to tighten said wire in order to unite the sluts, substantial] y as set forth.

5. In :t crate, the combination of e series of HIRAM XV. BEAM.

\Vitnesscs:

H EN nY F [s H nu, J Aeon P. FAwonr'r. 

